Seed to Sip – an all Strata hopped IPA from New Image
New Image Brewing began in Arvada, Colorado – a suburb of Denver – back in 2015 but now they do all their brewing at their newer facility in nearby Wheat Ridge, Colorado. They are well known for their IPAs but also make some killer sour beers and stouts.
I’ve only had a handful of their beers but I have enjoyed every one so, if I can find them, I know they are worth the money. Today I found one of those IPAs they do so well – a single hop IPA that they teamed up with Crosby Hops to make.
Their Seed to Sip is a West Coast IPA that was brewed with every kind of Strata hop you could want – Strata T90 pellets, Strata CGX (Crosby’s cryo version), and even some Strata trim to really bring it home – which they combined with floor malted pils and an American ale yeast. It has a solid 6.5% ABV but did cost me a tiny bit more, at $7.50 for the 16-ounce can.
This West Coast IPA poured a bright golden color with some light cloudiness towards the top of the glass. There was very little head, as less than half a finger of foam ever appeared atop the beer. What little foam did appear was eggshell white and quite thin.
On the nose, the brew was hoppy and resinous. There were notes of berries, stone fruit, and some light citrus but, first and foremost, it was herbal and super dank. It was a great reminder of the old West Coast IPAs that got me into craft beer.
Each sip begins with a tiny rush of carbonation and a lighter, thinner mouthfeel. But, quite curiously, the flavors are soft and subtle and take a few moments before even appearing.
The berries – mostly strawberry with just a touch of blueberry – are the first to appear but they are followed closely behind by some juicy orange and honeydew melon.
The fruity qualities carry most of the sip but, around the midway point, there is a buildup of hoppy bitterness that brings forward the more dank and herbal notes.
However, those quickly disappear behind one last push of juicy fruit. That final burst cleared the beer of almost all remaining bitterness and made the brew finish really nicely.
There was a slightly sticky resinous aftertaste that brought out some dried strawberry characteristics and a touch of honeydew but, otherwise, it was a super clean finish and an insanely crushable beer.
I really enjoyed this one. The Strata hops were showcased beautifully and it was such a sessionable and tasty West Coast IPA. It wasn’t too bitter and went down so very smoothly. A really well made beer.
